How can the law support sustainable wildlife management?
Tools to connect different sources of law and scientific knowledge
Participatory and informed law-making processes can dramatically improve the governance of natural resources. However, in countries where this governance is particularly weak, efforts to strengthen the legislative framework are sometimes considered to be of secondary importance compared to law enforcement.
Yet, complex or incoherent legal frameworks, limited recognition of customary practices and rights, and a lack of available scientific information to support political or legislative choices represent major and recurrent challenges for law implementation and enforcement, particularly for wildlife. Such obstacles, and the lack of participation by indigenous peoples and local communities in decision-making processes, need to be addressed at the legislative level.
The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SMW) Programme actively addresses these challenges to support legal reform processes that are both participatory and tailored to the specifics of those countries where the Programme operates.
To this end, the SWM Programme has developed five tools and methodologies to obtain a detailed understanding of the legal frameworks (statutory and customary law) governing wildlife management. These tools have made it possible to conduct cross-cutting legal analysis, which can be used, depending on the national agenda, to support law reform processes.
The SWM Programme is thus working with national stakeholders to connect the results from these analyses and the natural and social scientific knowledge obtained in the framework of the Programme. This is the case in Madagascar, where the Programme supports the “Working Group on the reform of the Hunting Ordinance”, created by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. The nature and benefits of this support were presented in more detail during the webinar.
Webinar objectives
- Present the innovative approach by which the SWM Programme connects different sources of law (international law, national law, customary law) and scientific knowledge.
- Launch the SWM Programme’s online Legal Hub.
Watch the webinar recording here.
For more information, please contact [email protected].